Andrew Orvedahl is the first comedian I was ever close to getting on the show. Seven and a half years ago after I interviewed Brandi Shigley, she asked me if I was interested in interviewing Andrew Overdahl. Of course! was my reply. She called him, left him a voicemail, and then nothing materialized. We were three busy people, and this exchange was lost to the ether of time. I was a big fan then, and I remain a big fan today.
I’m actually happy I didn’t interview him then because I feel like if I did, that show would have done him a disservice. However, in 2021 I have more than 350 episodes and an award under my belt, and he has a TV show that last 3 seasons, a successful and long-lasting comedy career, a hilarious podcast, and multiple cool games he’s designed (including Duster, whose Kickstarter you can find here) under his belt. Time has done us both well.
Andrew is a comedian I deeply respect, admire, and just plain enjoy. Not that I need to prove my ethos to you here, but I am currently paid to produce five other podcasts. In practical terms, that means one of the last things I want to do with whatever free time I have is listening to more fucking podcasts. But there are two I make room for in my life: Chris DeMakes A Podcast and The Grawlix Saves the World. And no disrespect to Ben or Adam, but Andrew consistently makes me laugh the hardest. But that’s like saying Mark Grace was my favorite member of the 1989 Cubs, which is true. But 2nd and 3rd place on that team were Ryne Sandberg and Andre Dawson, who are Hall of Famers.
On this week’s episode, we talk about Andrew’s level of comfort on stage, what it’s like running a TV show, the intense beta testing process he undergoes when designing a new game, the (metaphorical) mountains he has yet to climb, and a ton more. Look, if you’ve read this much of the description, you’re clearly a superfan. Just go listen. But also, click these links:
Follow Andrew on Twitter here.
Check out his game site Occupied Hex here.
Check out his Kickstarter for his game Duster here.
And watch the video of him in the Geek Bowl 2010 video that he doesn’t remember here:
You can download this episode on iTunes, stream it on Spotify, get it on podcatchers everywhere, or get it always and forever at the Jon of All Trades homepage.
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